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This bring to mind the ancient technique of cooling a building called malqaf in Arabic and badgir in Farsi. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210810-the-ancient-pers... Two great pdfs contained within "malqaf architecture" about two pages down.
>Application of the passive approach as a non-mechanical method is an effective technique to tackle high energy consumption as well as diminishing the destructive effects of buildings on the environment. Using passive cooling can lead to peak load reduction as well as peak load offset, diminishing the interior temperature fluctuation, maintaining indoor air temperature in a comfortable range which consequently reduces fossil fuel usage as well as decrease the greenhouse gas emission. In this study, using passive approach from the economic point of view was discussed. The competition between cost saving (owing to applying passive methods) and added cost (owing to the initial investment, maintenance and operation cost) can specify the usefulness and effectiveness of using passive techniques. In this regard, special points such as building function, ventilation requirements, sensible and latent heat gains, the ability of any technique to save energy, geographical location, user financial ability, initial investment, maintenance and operation cost, regional climate data should be taken into account. Literature review affirmed that owing to applying passive approaches in building, energy consumption is diminished by 8%–70% (using external shading), 37% (utilizing cool colored paints roof), 25% (Creating green space), 7.88% (construction of the prismatic building), 32%–100% (using vegetation-based wall), 50% (using PCM-base wall), 33% (incorporation of insulation into the wall), 10%–20% (building equipped with solar chimney), 25% (using radiative cooling system). From the economic viewpoint, it was found that through finding optimal passive approaches, life-cycle cost saving reached 52%.
Vernacular architecture is taught in 101 courses, but my experience in arch schools / grad programs in North America is they're too divorced from building science. Apart from checking LEED boxes / certification, it's risky / hard to justify remixing vernacular elements outside of prestige projects with big budget that can afford to do the modelling to spit out confident operating costs. Maybe when the software improves.
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My parents recently moved to a similar building with huge glass windows (different part of the world). They ended up installing black mesh roller shades, and pretty much need to keep them down half the year, to keep out the heat. For all intents and purposes, they now dwell in darkness. That kind of architecture basically creates new problems, rather than solves them.
I have big black mesh roller shades over a pair of large windows, they are amazingly effective at keeping the room cooler (as long as they're on the outside!) I think it'd be fair to say that they don't make you 'dwell in darkness' as much as a solid wall would...
Especially if they are motorized. It's the only home automation thing that I actually find very useful in my home, which has huge glass windows, that I love.
I have a little process that checks the UV index level once an hour. If it's above 6 it closes them and if it's below 6 it opens them. I know UV index doesn't actually track temperature, etc. But it's a good enough proxy for the sun it up and it's bright. And it does a good job of keeping the windows unblocked during mornings and evenings.
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Not the same temperature, it will not give you a differential like HVAC system can, but it can be substantially cooler than outside and in conjunction with lattices HVAC can be much cheaper as well. the lattice basically increases surface area by a lot that increases cooling Same concept as a radiator . The materials are also important , certain types of stone have desirable thermal properties especially the amount o…
> Instead of being close minded and think all things ancient/eastern are bad and useless (or all good either) why not incorporate the best of all ideas and make cooling efficient and cheaper . That just doesn't work. Modern climate control technology is fundamentally based on having homes that are insulated and sealed off from outside airflow. Lots and lots of effort has gone into that, and people spend a lot of time…
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210810-the-ancient-pers...
"Scientists have recorded a temperature difference of 16C (29F) between the outside and inside of the visitor centre, despite the many bodies regularly passing through."
I imagine the best systems are the ones that combine both ideas. Such as Apple Park:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/apples-new-campus-...
"A Building That Breathes: Between each floor of the building is a canopy that juts out, mainly to protect employees from the intense California sun. Tucked within each canopy is a ventilation system that funnels air in and out of the building. Apparently Jobs, who was not a fan of air conditioning, wanted his employees to feel any passing breeze as if they were sitting outside. Through a variety of sensors, the building can maintain a temperature of 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, all by using an intake and release of natural air."
It's a neat technique, but there are some problems: * Permanent architectural features to reduce sunlight absorption only make sense where its consistently hot, year round. In areas with cold winters, its not grate. * Perforated walls offer very little privacy or protection from the environment, animals, or people. * Cleaning and maintenance of these perforated walls requires more intricate and costly effort * Suscep…
Not being able to seal and air condition these homes will kill a lot of people when "wet bulb" events start becoming commonplace. I'm thankful I live in a climate far from the equator where we get more of a dry heat.
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Caves can get unbearably hot and humid here too.
Then you need to dig deeper
Modern Indian housing in major Indian cities has done a complete 180 from these tried-and-tested architectural practices. The materials used seem to be deliberately chosen to maximize human misery. There's glass everywhere which, besides being impossible to keep clean in India's dusty summers, also retains heat and makes most housing unbearable without AC. Then there are the designs themselves. Faux wood is everywher…